Adelaide Oval's stunning success this season is the glossy wallpaper covering ugly cracks in AFL crowd figures.
Two days after 99,454 fans watched Hawthorn belt Sydney in the grand final, the AFL trumpeted increased attendances this season compared to last year's figures.
But Etihad Stadium had the worst crowd numbers in its history and the MCG also featured its lowest crowds since 2006, when the members stand was being redeveloped.
Undoubtedly the highlight of this year for the league has been the Adelaide Oval redevelopment.
The total crowd figure at the ground for Port Adelaide and Adelaide home-and-away games was 1,016,514, at an average of 46,205.
That is a massive increase on the 665,808 total for AAMI Stadium's swansong last year, with an average of only 30,264.
At the worst of their struggles, Port notoriously laid out sponsorship tarpaulins over whole blocks of seats at AAMI Stadium in a vain attempt to hide their poor crowds.
This season, Adelaide Oval became known as The Portress as the Power made it a formidable home venue.
While Crows attendances are also well up at their new home, Port clearly have been the bigger winners in the AFL move from West Lakes to the more central Adelaide venue.
Port Adelaide have created a spine-tingling atmosphere at home games, with fans belting out the INXS song Never Tear Us Apart before the opening bounce.
But elsewhere, especially in Victoria, the AFL was blasted for unsuccessful experiments with match scheduling.
One of the worst blunders was Sunday night football, particularly the round-15 match between fierce rivals Carlton and Collingwood at the MCG.
The match only attracted 40,939 fans - easily the worst crowd for these two teams since they farewelled Carlton's Visy Park home ground in 2000.
"The rebuilt and revitalised Adelaide Oval saw crowds in SA jump by 50 per cent on the 2013 season, demonstrating the attraction of great football combined with state-of-the-art facilities," AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said in a statement.
"Even accounting for some trials in scheduling and ticketing, which provided some valuable lessons for the AFL, supporters have backed their teams on game day."
The total home-and-away attendance was 6,384,742, up from 6,368,346 last year.
Finals crowds also improved from 558,034 to 569,843.
The combined attendance for the 2014 AFL season was 6,954,585 - an increase of 28,205 on last year's total.
KEY AFL CROWD FIGURES
(all figures are for home-and-away games only)
* The stunning success of Adelaide Oval
AAMI Stadium, 2013 - 665,808 fans in home-and-away games (30,264 average)
Adelaide Oval, 2014 - 1,016,514 (46,205 average)
Adelaide and Port Adelaide have had the best home crowd figures in their histories
* Etihad Stadium's record lows since it opened in 2000
2013 - 1,466,099 (30,544)
2014 - 1,355,560 (28,241
* Low numbers at the MCG
2014 - 2,111,761 (46,928)
Its lowest home and away figures since 2006, when the members' stand redevelopment was underway
* Other key venues
Metricon Stadium (Gold Coast)
2013 - 152,980 (13,907)
2014 - 177,017 (16,092)
`Gabba
2013 - 231,909 (21,083)
2014 - 217,178 (19,743)
Simonds Stadium (Geelong)
2013 - 187,545 (26,792)
2014 - 177,785 (25,398)
SCG
2013 - 230,659 (25,629)
2014 - 260,461 (32,558)
Patersons Stadium (Perth)
2013 - 773,485 (35,158)
2014 - 771,414 (35,064)
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